By: Sara Urquhart. Photo by: Justin Hackworth.
A good routine simplifies your life by making decisions for
you. If Monday is the day you clean out your inbox, you don’t have to worry
about it on Wednesday. If you try to keep business calls on Thursdays, you’ll
automatically suggest that when a contact asks what time is best for you.
Forcing these patterns is one option, but finding the
patterns that already exist in your work life will probably do you more good.
As I’ve considered the natural rhythm of my work week, definite patterns have
developed, and now that I’m aware of them, I’m using them to my advantage.
For example, Mondays are my busiest days. My inbox is always
full and it’s the day we send out our newsletters and reconnect with our
community. I try not to schedule many calls on Mondays because I know my day
will be full of screen time. I have weekly calls scheduled with my team on
Tuesdays, so that leaves Wednesday and Thursday to make sponsor calls and
collaboration calls. Since things have usually slowed down for the week by
Friday, I try to spend Friday doing business-y things—checking in with the accountant,
paying bills and invoices, and banking.
I’m naturally an early riser, so I take advantage of that,
too. I’m not going to fight my natural cycle by trying to work all hours of the
night. I know I’ll be most alert and focused when I’m well rested and up early.
When it comes to creating viable work routines, you probably
don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Just pay attention to how it’s already
spinning.
